Improvement in feed-racks



M RALPH F eed-Racks Patented Aug. 17, 1875.

No.l 6.6,719.

um\ i H n n I/H I I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHIAS RALPH, -or URSA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FEED-RACKS.

- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 166,719, dated August17, 1875; application filed June 30, 1875. i

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHIAS RALPH, of Ursa, in the county of Adams,State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inFeeding'Oribs, of which the following is a description sufficientlyfull, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art orscience to which my invention appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is an isometrical perspective view.

My invention relates more especially to that class of cribs or mangers,which are designed for feeding swine; and consists in a novelconstruction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully setforth and claimed, by which a very simple, cheap, and effective deviceof this character is produced.

The nature and operation of my improvement will be readily obvious toall conversant with such matters from the following description:

In the drawing, A represents the body or sides of the crib, B thebottom, and l the platform or table. The body A is composed of slats orbars framed into or supported by proper corner posts or uprights, andarranged sufficiently near together to prevent the ears of corn fromescaping through them. The bottom B is inclined, its lowest side or edgebeing nearest the platform I, which is hinged at J J to correspondingcorner-posts of the body A. Two vertical standards, 0 O, are centrallydisposed in the body A, and in the slot D of the standard 0 there ispivoted a lever, E, carrying at its outer end or short arm the gate F G,working in the ways or runlets h h. Beneath the standard 0, and theslats connected directly with the same, there is a lateral openingthroughwhich the corn passes from the interior of the body A onto thetable I when the gate F G is raised.

In the use of my improvement the bodyA is filled with corn, the table Ibeing turned down. The gate is then raised by depressing the lever E,which may be secured in position by means of a pin and the slot D in theupper end of the standard 0. The platform I enables the swine to shelland eat the corn with facility, and prevents much of the waste whichwould otherwise occur. After each feedin g the crib may be readilyclosed by elevating the lever, and turning up the platform,-efi'ectually shutting out all access to its contents, but which israrely necessary. The inclined bottom B serves to feed the corn forwardantomatically to the opening under the gate, but I do not confine myselfstrictly to arranging the bottom in this manner. The crib, beingportable, may be used in any desired position on the farm, but ispreferably arranged in an opening in a fence or building, in such amanner as to have the platform I flush therewith when closed, the bodyAbeing located within the building or outside of the fence when not inuse, in a manner and for reasons which will be readily understoodwithout a more explicit description.

Having thus explained my improvements, what I claim is- The improvedfeeding-crib described, consisting of the body A, provided with theinclined bottom B, gate F G, and hinged table I, constructed andarranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose specified.

MAT'IHIAS RALPH. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

GEO. M. JANES, [L. s.]

J os. W. EMnRY. [L. s.]

